Tatar-Bashkir Report: September 7, 1999

Crash Leaves Oil Spill On Kama RiverSome 100 tons of black oil poured into the Kama River on 4 September after a cargo ship from Perm carrying 4,000 tons of salt crashed into an oil tanker belonging to Bashkortostan's Bashvolgotanker company. An emergency oil collector from Bashvolgotanker is at the site cleaning up. The city administrations of Chally, Tuben Kama and other towns down the river received warnings from Tatarstan's Ministry of Emergencies.

Turnaround For KamAZ?The KamAZ car factory said that August was its peak production month over the last 15 months, the KamAZ press service announced on 7 September. In August, the company's income reached 550.5 million rubles--17 percent more than in the previous month--when 1,244 heavy trucks and 2,664 small-sized vehicles were sold. The same level of production was reached by KamAZ in May 1997. The firm has only made a profit in the last few months, after many months of losses. KamAZ claims that back wages are being paid off and that 60 to 70 percent of current wages are paid in cash while the rest is paid off in goods. The KamAZ press center also reported that the plant had "finally abolished barter transactions in its sales."

Chemical Company Wants To Be Russia's Market LeaderTatarstan's-Siberian Chemical Company (TatSib) will be registered in late September, the deputy general-director of the republic's Nizhnekamskneftekhim company, Vladimir Presnyakov, announced on 7 September. TatSib was founded by Nizhnekamskneftekhim, the Polystirol Company from the Omsk region, and the Neftech-Techno Company in Moscow. TatSib will reportedly be aiming for the lead market position on the Russian polyester market. TatSib's founding contract states that the 33 percent stake of shares in Omskkhimprom owned by Nizhekamskneftekhim are the controlling portion of the ownership. Tuben Kama will deliver up to 225,000 tons of styrene for polyester production. Presnyakov said that the new joint company was the first step in realizing the ambitious plans Nizhnekamskneftekhim has for the Russian chemical market.